News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe

With the money spent on the war, Russia could have built 1,000 new schools and 200 hospitals, and granted 1 million rubles to every child born since the start of the full-scale invasion.

"I'm sending a sledgehammer message to shipping companies whose tankers are transporting illegal Russian diesel to our ports," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. "Reverse course while there's still time."

Sukharevskyi will replace Major General Dmytro Deliatytskyi in the job, sources confirmed independently to Ukrainska Pravda and Interfax-Ukraine.

Concerns have been raised about Russia's true motives in agreeing to the ceasefire, as well as its agreement to allowing Trump to mediate it.

The announcement comes on the back of a Dutch ministerial visit to Kyiv, where 1.2 billion euros in non-military aid was pledged.

"We need to have this meeting till the end of (next) month, I hope... between Nov. 6 and 10," Zelensky said at a press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.

"I want to point out that Elon Musk is a genius, a real genius," Putin said, praising the billionaire's vast satellite network as Russia scrambles to develop its own answer to Starlink.

The Russian delegation will use the two-day meeting, held from Oct. 30 to Oct. 31, to "promote Russian ideas, aimed at strengthening the foundations of a multipolar world," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

The Kyiv Independent has teamed up with Ukrainian brand Pavuk on a limited-edition Christmas drop built around one of Ukraine's oldest holiday traditions: weaving a pavuk, a delicate mobile made of rye straw.

The acquisition reflects Kyivstar's ambition to build a broader digital ecosystem beyond its core telecommunications business.

The Kyiv Independent’s Tim Zadorozhnyy speaks with Tsikhanouskaya about Lukashenko’s support for Russia’s war, the risks of U.S. engagement with his regime, and how political prisoners have become bargaining chips in negotiations over sanctions.